Smoltz To Start

Braves manager Bobby Cox has chosen to flip-flop his starters, giving ace John Smoltz his first start of the year against the Mets in Sunday afternoon’s ballgame.

Cox claims he wants Smoltz — who has been suffering from tightness in the back of his shoulder all spring — to make his first start in warm, balmy Atlanta rather than in chilly Colorado on Monday.

Yeah, right. Whatever, dude. I’m sure it has nothing to do with Johan Santana starting for the Mets, and that the Mets’ lineup is certain to wake up against the soft tossing of Tommy Glavine.

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.